Stygian braced himself as the door opened and he was nearly bowled over by the love of his life.
"You're back!" Sunburst exclaimed, wrapping him in a tight hug. "I've missed you! How was your trip to Baltimare? Meet anyone interesting? Is the antique store on Main Street still there? Did you get to see Edgar Allen Peony's grave?"
"I've missed you as well, love," Stygian said, chuckling as he sank into the familiar embrace while Sunburst rattled off his questions. "And in order, the trip was pleasant but dull, as usual, with no one of note attending the signing. The antique store is still there, though under new management, it seems, and unfortunately my schedule didn't allow for me to visit the grave, as I didn't want to tarry there longer than I needed to." He pressed a kiss against Sunburst's muzzle. "Not when I would much rather be in your arms."
"Aww." At that, Sunburst blushed and released him, gesturing for him to enter. "Well, maybe we can go together sometime."
"I would like that very much." The smell of old tomes and magic in the air filled Stygian's senses as he stepped inside, along with a scent that was unmistakably that of his lover. He set down his saddlebags on a nearby table. "I have a gift for you."
"Oh?"
Stygian lit up his horn, and a small box floated out from the bags. "I found this in the antique shop you mentioned. The owner had no idea of its true worth."
Sunburst eagerly took the box in his magic and opened it up. He gasped, and the way his eyes widened made traveling to that city worth it. "Is this really the original amulet?"
"I saw Hurricane wearing it himself after Clover had given it to him with my own two eyes," Stygian confirmed. "It was at the fifth Unification Gala, and Equestria nearly went to war with the Griffons because the fool couldn't take his eyes off the object of his affections long enough to engage in some simple diplomacy." He snorted. "Hurricane never parted with it, and I was sure he'd have been buried with it, but a thousand years is a long time."
"It might be fun to do some divination to try and figure out what happened to it," Sunburst said, putting the amulet away in one of his drawers. "And you never did finish telling me the story about how they got together."
"Ah, well, I'd love to continue," Stygian replied before letting out a light cough. "But first, if I could trouble you for a drink? It's been quite the journey back."
"Oh, of course!" Sunburst exclaimed, rushing back to the kitchen. There were a lot of worrying sounds before he emerged with a battered tea set and poured out a steaming cup for him. "Oolong, your favourite," he said proudly.
"Thank you, love." Stygian took a grateful sip from the cup, letting the warmth of the tea fill his soul. For a few seconds, they simply enjoyed the pleasure of each other's company in silence. Then, Stygian spoke up again. "You know, every day, I find myself in awe at my life."
"Getting displaced a thousand years must be pretty shocking," Sunburst said. "I know that's why a lot of the Crystal Ponies don't really leave the Empire. I can't imagine what it's like to always be traveling around a modern Equestria for your book tours and seeing how everything's changed so much."
"Oh, it's not that," Stygian said with a dismissive wave of his hoof. "Even before I was contained in Limbo, I was always a traveler, and I visited a great many wondrous locales." A contented smile graced his lips. "But what I never had back then was a home to return to. I was always a wanderer, seeking out a place where I belonged and never finding it. How ironic that I would only find that here, a thousand years in the future."
"Well, to be fair, this place is from the past too," Sunburst pointed out.
"Oh, it has nothing to do with the Empire." Stygian reached out to cup Sunburst's chin with his hoof. "I will admit, this place is truly a beauty to behold, and I do wish I had visited more before Sombra's usurpation, but all the comforts of the past do not a home make. After all, home is not a location, I've learned. It's the place where my soul can finally be at peace."
Sunburst smiled back. "I— I think I get that," he said. "I grew up in Sire's Hollow, but I never felt like I belonged, and even when I first moved here I always felt like an outsider. It wasn't until you came into my life that I finally felt content to be here." He chuckled. "Honestly, this place always feels so empty without you."
"I think I'll speak with my publisher about reducing the number of tours I take," Stygian said. "I don't ever want to leave my home again, and I hope you can come with me now that Flurry's growing older."
"I'd like that a lot." Sunburst leaned in and kissed Stygian, their lips meeting in a brief burst of passion.
As they pulled away, Stygian settled down onto a worn couch and gestured for Sunburst to join him. "Now then, shall I continue my story? I believe I had just gotten to the part when Clover had discovered that he harboured feelings for the brash Commander, and had decided to seek the advice of his old mentor. Which, as you might expect, was possibly the worst choice of confidante he could possibly have selected."
As they settled in for a cozy afternoon of tea and stories, and as Stygian recounted a tale that was a scant few years and yet over a millennium old, in a land both familiar and yet wholly different, he felt his soul calm as finally, after all his wanderings, he had found his home with the stallion who possessed his heart.
